What We Believe

Our Mission

Transforming the world by growing disciples of Jesus Christ through a grace-filled community.

God

We believe that God is understood in three distinct forms. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are commonly referred to as the Trinity. Sometimes we use other terms, such as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

God – The Father

We believe in One God who created the world and all that is in it. We believe that God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe. We believe that God is loving. We can experience God’s love and grace.

God – The Son

We believe that Jesus was human.
He lived as a man and died when he was crucified. We believe that Jesus is divine. He is the Son of God. We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today. We believe that Jesus is our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins. We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his.

God – The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us. We believe that the Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God. We believe that the Holy Spirit awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to live obediently.

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is God’s word.
We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
We believe that Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Community

We believe that the church is the body of Christ,
an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today. We believe that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We believe that the church is the communion of saints – a community made up of all past, present and future disciples of Christ. We believe that the church is called to worship God and to support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith.

We believe that God created human beings in God’s image.
We believe that humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God. We believe that all humans need to be in relationship with God in order to be fully human.

Sacraments

The United Methodist Church recognizes two sacraments in which Christ himself participated: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. A Christian Sacrament is a rite celebrated by the church which has been ordained by Christ and is a means of divine grace, a symbol of His spiritual reality.

BAPTISM

Baptism marks the beginning of our lifelong journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. Through baptism, we are joined with the Triune God, the whole of Christ’s church, and our local congregation. The water and the work of the Holy Spirit in baptism convey God’s saving grace, the forgiveness of our sins, and new life in Jesus Christ. Persons of any age may be baptized–infants, children, youth, and adults. United Methodists baptize in a variety of ways–immersion, pouring, touching, or sprinkling. A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life.

THE LORD’S SUPPER (ALSO CALLED HOLY COMMUNION, EUCHARIST)

The Lord’s Supper is the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving the church offers to God for all God has done, is doing, and will do to save us and renew all things in Christ. Through offering ourselves in praise and thanksgiving, and through receiving the bread and cup–which the Spirit makes for us the body and blood of Christ–celebrating the Lord’s Supper together nourishes and sustains us in our journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. As we pray together and receive the body and blood of Christ together, we are united with Christ, with one another, and in ministry to all the world. All who love Christ, earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another are invited to join us in offering our prayer of thanksgiving and receive the body and blood of Christ–regardless of age or church membership. In other words, we practice open communion. Congregations serve the elements of the Lord’s Supper several ways, but always include both bread and cup. The Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated and received regularly–John Wesley said, “As often as one can.”
We at Flowing Grace United Methodist Church celebrate Holy Communion every Sunday except during Lent.